Pahiyas Festival
Celebrated every 15th of May principally in the town of Lucban (Quezon Province), the San Isidro Pahiyas Festival continues the tradition of thanksgiving that existed even before the coming of the Spaniards.
Pahiyas means “decor” in Filipino. The Pahiyas Festival, however, is more than just the colorful decorations on windows, doors and even the whole facade of houses. It is more than just a tourist attraction. The Pahiyas Festival is a form of thanksgiving to a Higher Being for a bountiful harvest in the past year and a prayer for more bounty in the years to come.
The introduction of San Isidro Labrador as patron saint arrived with the Spaniards. Local inhabitants would display their farm products on doors and windows, creating a mix of colors. Multi-colored tomatoes, coconuts, bananas, rice, string beans and a whole lot more. Then came the more colorful component, the kiping.
The kiping is colored ground rice molded into various shapes and sizes. The kiping could be grouped into something that resembles a chandelier, called the arangya, or various flowers, including the sunflower.